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- Dec 13, 2005
Exactly. There is no way the USFSA is stupid enough to send her to the Olympics when she hasn't competed in FOUR years and has had to pull out of two events already this season.
Any Sasha updates?
- Thread starter kalle
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Exactly. There is no way the USFSA is stupid enough to send her to the Olympics when she hasn't competed in FOUR years and has had to pull out of two events already this season.
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- May 15, 2009
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- Nov 12, 2009
Sasha just wants to win Olympic Gold.....and I'm sorry, it's just not going to happen, especially with her tendonitis and having not skated for the last 3 years. Even a Sasha at her best from years ago couldn't beat Yuna. When Sasha won silver in Torino she had tiny jumps and no 3-3 and skated pretty slowly and had a fall. Her spirals and interpretation set her apart but in those 4 years a lot of other skaters have been working on that, Yuna is not as flexible but has interpretation and emotion equal to that of Sasha and two 3-3s and has huge jumps and is super fast. So yeah I think Sasha should just give up this whole plan now. Plus she is very similar to Alissa Czisny, who I would much rather see go to the Olympics instead because she works so hard and has never gone before and isn't injured and is a nice person not a diva like Sasha
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- Nov 22, 2009
Never underestimate the potential for the stupidity of US Skating
The only way I can ever see the USFS putting Sasha on the 2010 Olympic team is if they are paid off hugely by one of Sasha's commercial sponsors *cough cough*.
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- Dec 28, 2006
Thanks for setting me straight on the bye business. I knew that Michelle would have had to start from scratch if she did not do a GP so I assumed the same Sasha.
I agree that if the the first and second place finshers at nationals are unknowns then number 3 will get a spot, but who will be the 2nd lady? Would they just go with the winner? or 4th place? or resurrect Alissia since she was the former champion? Or let Sasha who can be counted on to beat any of our ladies if healthy?
Yes, Sasha's chances of winning gold are tiny, and she knows this. She speaks of "getting a medal" in Vancouver, not winning, so I think she would be happy to skate clean and be happy with herself for once. as for sasha winning the silver in 2006 without a 3/3, in winner did not do a 3/3 either and doubled a jump.
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- Nov 12, 2009
This is why I doubt she'll show at nationals. I mean, she's Sasha, she loves to win more than anything. We are talking about the girl who looked devastated at the Olympics after winning silver like she had bombed or something....
I don't think she can even get a medal at this point. Mao should come back fighting hard, so if Yuna and Mao are 1 and 2, it would mean Sasha would have to fight for 3rd against Miki, Joannie, and Carolina and I doubt she'd win that fight. Not to mention if there are spoilers and someone else surprises us with great performances to get on the podium. The field is a lot stronger than it was in 2006...
The question is this, though: Would Cohen, in whatever shape she's in now, be able to top Rachel Flatt's combined SA score (best score put up by an American so far this season)? Flatt really nailed that LP, it probably would have beaten any of Cohen's 2006 performances anyway. And Flatt is closing the gap on the SP...had she not fallen in the SP she'd have broken 60. Plus she has consistency...something Cohen never had (and never will).
If the answer is no, she might as well just stay home. Well, actually it would depend on whether she could top the second best American score. I think this will be a moot point though (nothing better to get closer to a five-figure post count though, eh? :chorus: )
If the answer is no, she might as well just stay home. Well, actually it would depend on whether she could top the second best American score. I think this will be a moot point though (nothing better to get closer to a five-figure post count though, eh? :chorus: )
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- May 15, 2009
After today I suspect she could top Ashley in an SP, Caroline too.
Alissa and Mirai have been hot and cold.
Sasha, I believe can still do a 2A and Ashley has missed or dinged this jump all season long
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- Nov 12, 2009
The old Sasha probably could....has anyone even seen her skate recently? With an injury and all that time off I would not be surprised if she has gotten worse. Ashley also likes to rise to the occasion...I wouldn't count her out of Olympic contention just yet, especially considering her biggest competition will be Alissa and Mirai, who are unpredictable. Caroline might come to nationals fighting too, her bad technique didn't stop her from finishing 3rd last year. Further, though Mirai has some UR problems, she's tough and hardly ever falls. Alissa is a lot like Sasha but at this point her jumps are probably better and more consistent than Sasha's. Also, Sasha is old. The US ladies don't like to stick around through their late twenties like they do in Europe and Asia
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- May 15, 2009
Ashley could comeback - but I will be more of her fan when she stops putting herself so far behind with weak SP's.
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- Dec 28, 2006
Well Ashely didn't rise enough last two years. Even if she did, that is one spot. We have two to fill. Alissa and Mirai don't have anything over Sasha. they both have great spins as does sasha. Alissa has good artistry, but no performance quality like Sasha does and has cannot be counted on to land more than 3 clean triples to a freeskate and shorts are hit or miss. Mirai is unpredictable, but as far as I know she is not even training a 3/3 this season so with her downgrades and edge calls i cant see her placing over Sasha. As for Caroline....she was fourth last year. and this year even 3rd won't cut it.
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- Nov 12, 2009
^^ I completely agree, and that's all I was trying to say. The comparisons with the other US ladies are of the Sasha we knew 4 years ago....she could be better (though doubtful) or much worse. We don't know. Also, just a note about Alissa, she has added another triple jump to her arsenal in the long, so now she usually lands 4 clean triples, as given her usual LP performance with one fall and one UR on her triple loop.
Here's something I was also thinking about. If Alissa always gets her loop downgraded and Yuna seems to let the flip psych her out, couldn't they just leave those jumps out and do a different one in it's place. Alissa and Yuna are both good at lutz which is worth the most, why couldn't they do another lutz (or any other jump for that matter) in place of the problem jump (3loop/3flip)? Are there rules about this? It just seems silly to keep attempting a jump each of them is clearly not comfortable with
I think the USFSA needs to start thinking of the future of US ladies skating. Focus on the ladies that have been competing and proving themselves and want to advance in the sport. Sasha skipped out and didn't even compete at Nationals or Worlds, and not because she was injured. She wanted to be a star, and when that failed she wanted to come back for a third shot at that elusive gold medal. IMO, the USFSA needs to send the ladies that can get us the highest placements, but also the ones that will continue with the sport after the Olympics. Sasha hasn't even competed at all THIS season, chances are she won't be back to further US skating after.
I think she was disappointed that she fell twice the LP, not that she won the silver. Who can blamed her for that? Who knows how she would have reacted if she had skated perfectly and won silver anyway.
People can correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought Sasha handled herself pretty graciously when she didn't win. She would always get up there and accept her silver or whatever with a big smile and if she ever complained it seemed like it was always about herself and her own shortcomings.
Also, I think it remains to be seen if the field is that much stronger than it was in 2006. The GP series has not been inspiring for the women except for Kim Yuna and even she has struggled recently. (although the fact that a "struggling" Kim Yuna still earned a 65 in the short today is pretty intimidating ... just to keep things in perspective
)I think the Sasha of 2006 would be a definite medal contender in this field. Carolina?? When Sasha had a meltdown she won the silver. When Carolina has a meltdown she gets knocked out of the top 10.
Of course, I don't have huge hopes that we'll ever see the Sasha of 2006 again. So in that sense, I agree with you she's a long shot for a medal. Even if she shows up at nationals.
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- Jun 3, 2009
I'll agree with that - she was disappointed in herself, but still quite classy in Torino 2006 (to my memory, which is admittedly hazy).
There are so many things at play.
Does she show up at Nationals? If she does, how well does she skate? Are the judges gonna boost her to the top two slots just so she can go to the Olympics? Given the disappointing level of the performances (I think the field is good, but no one is skating their best) how does she stack up? Does she fit in with COP as it is now (harsher edge calls, underrotation punishments)? If there were three slots, I think they would put her on the team provided she skated semi-decently at Nationals. With popularity the way it is, her addition could only help. But with only two....
And most importantly, if she can't win, why bother? She was good enough for three silvers and a bronze at consecutive Worlds and Olympics. That's a stellar achievement (better than say Nancy Kerrigan, with two bronze and two silvers). If she's not near her best, then she certainly won't match Kim/Asada/Ando/Rochette/Flatt etc. And really, why go to the Olympics only to have your worst result since juniors (which is what a sixth place finish would mean).
There are so many things at play.
Does she show up at Nationals? If she does, how well does she skate? Are the judges gonna boost her to the top two slots just so she can go to the Olympics? Given the disappointing level of the performances (I think the field is good, but no one is skating their best) how does she stack up? Does she fit in with COP as it is now (harsher edge calls, underrotation punishments)? If there were three slots, I think they would put her on the team provided she skated semi-decently at Nationals. With popularity the way it is, her addition could only help. But with only two....
And most importantly, if she can't win, why bother? She was good enough for three silvers and a bronze at consecutive Worlds and Olympics. That's a stellar achievement (better than say Nancy Kerrigan, with two bronze and two silvers). If she's not near her best, then she certainly won't match Kim/Asada/Ando/Rochette/Flatt etc. And really, why go to the Olympics only to have your worst result since juniors (which is what a sixth place finish would mean).
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- Dec 28, 2006
i agree. Torino was a pretty sad games for the american ladies. First we had to see Michelle tearfully give up her dream and then Sasha come ever so close. And they both handled themselves with class and grace.
Ashley had the flu at the GPF. Maybe Sasha could beat a sick Ashley. Can she beat a healthy one?
The 2006 Sasha? Without a doubt. What does Ashley have over 2006 Sasha?
But the question nobody can answer is what the 2009-2010 Sasha looks like.
I didn't know that about Alissa - the extra triple, I mean ... interesting ... although her LP scores have still been low.
I always thought you couldn't do the same jump twice in a competition ... I though if you did two triple lutzes you wouldn't get credit for the second one. Is that not the rule?
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- Nov 12, 2009
Her scores have been low because she has been falling twice and getting the loop UR recently so that gets her down to three clean triples.
A lot of the top ladies attempt 7 triples in their freeskate (Yuna, Rachael, Akiko, Joannie, Miki if she does her 3-3, Mao if she does two 3a). When she was attempting 5, that was real conservative, even with 6, if she misses just 2, that's only 4 which isn't great.
And I think you can do 2 of the same jump in a competition, because after her freeskate Yuna was talking to Brian and they were like oh that was interesting, and then Yuna said that she got the flip and the second lutz. Rachael attempts 2 flips and 1 or 2 lutzes in her freeskate, Alissa I think already attempts 2 lutzes but because she doesn't do the salchow and has problems with flip and loop, that doesn't leave her with many options...
I think you can't attempt any jump more than 2 times except maybe a double axel because I know Yuna and a lot of other ladies do 3 2axels in their LP. Maybe it's something to do with combinations or whatnot
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